Mothers day
by SweetlySpicey
Summary: Chuck and Ellie always celebrated mothers day in October, to remember the day they had to start taking care of each other.


"Ellie! Wait up!" a boy called as he peddled his bike faster. His older sister was ahead of him by a few feet. She groaned and put her foot down, sending her bike to stop as she waited patiently for her baby brother to catch up. It was a rather cloudy October day, and the two were out riding bikes.

He looked like a doofus. His big pooy hair curling out from under his helmet, trying to use his inhaler as he continued riding. She flipped her ponytail and rolled her eyes as he slowed to a stop beside her.

"Am I doin good?"

"Sure," She spat. She loved her little brother, but sometimes he could be so needy and pathetic.

"Thanks for taking me riding with you, Ellie," He suddenly said, gasping for air between words, "I… really appreciate it,"

Ellie couldn't help but sigh. She knew how much he loved her, and how much he looked up to her. She'd see his face when she'd run off with her school friends and leave him staring through the window of their home. Chuck didn't make friends very easily. Well… he had that weird Morgan kid from down the street… but that was it.

"Lets go home," She said, "Momma's probably about to order supper,"

"Yeah!" Chuck exclaimed, a huge smile forming on his face, "Think she'll order sizzling shrimp again?"

Ellie ignored him, just started riding towards their apartment. Chuck followed suit, trying to pull his oversized helmet off his glasses. Ellie looked at him from over her shoulder and lightly cringed. She hated being seen with her brother sometimes. Her friends thought he was a nerd… and well, he was, but she didn't want them to think she was a nerd too.

She must have been adopted.

Or atleast that's what she'd tell her friends when they'd laugh openly at him. It's the reason they left early. You see, only moments ago, Ellie had been invited to go riding with her friends, but no sooner had they peddled off, had they heard a little voice calling after them.

"_Ellie! Ellie wait up!"_

_They stopped and looked over their shoulders to see the youngest Bartowski, covered in elbow pads, knee pads, shin guards and a chest protector struggling to ride up to them. His handling was still lack, and the bike wobbled uncontrollably. Her friends roared with laughter, but he pretended not to hear it as he forced a nervous smile at his sister._

"_Can I come, Ellie? I can ride it, now,"_

_Ellie was about to turn him away when one of her friends said, "Sure! The more the merrier, Chuck,"_

_Chuck couldn't help but smile widely showing off his missing teeth, not hearing the wickedness in the little girl's tone._

"_Chuck, you have to ride fast." Ellie warned him._

"_Oh, I will!" He beamed proudly, "I've been practicing,"_

_She forced a smile, "…Great,"_

_The group rode on, Chuck, never even reaching a foot behind them. For some reason, everytime he'd get close enough for them to hear him ask to slow down, they'd speed up. He trudged on, however. Ellie had no idea he could hear every mean thing they laughed at his expense, but he kept following them, until he hit a rock and fell right over. _

_It didn't hurt- seeing as he had on so much gear and thank Goodness for that! But the look on his sister's face made him wanna melt. _

_Her friends laughed, "Good thing your helmet on, huh?"_

"_Y-yeah!" He awkwardly smiled, readjusting his glasses, "I didn't feel a thing,"_

_The girls roared with laughter and started riding away when Ellie called after them, "Hey, guys, I'm gonna take Chuck home," _

"_Okay. See you tomorrow," One of her friends told her, and the rest of their group sped off. _

"_Lets go home," Ellie snipped and rode off in another direction, leaving Chuck o hurriedly get back on his bike and follow. _

"Oh no! Ellie wait! I dropped Hectar!"

Ellie groaned again, feeling her annoyance and anger reach it's point. She turned her head to see her brother wobbling off of his bike to grab his goofy toy that fell from his backpack that must have got opened up. Just has he had gotten off his bike, however, it had started to rain. No… not rain… pour. It was pouring quite hard now.

"Pick up your doll and let's go!"

"Hectar's not a doll," Chuck defended, brushing off his plastic friend, and trying to get the water off his glasses, "He's a golden dragon from the Meso era meant to bring joy to all the people of his land,"

"Whatever. Let's go,"

Chuck placed his toy in his bag and hopped up on his bike only to peddle three peddles before falling right back down. Mud splashed everywhere- all over him, and all over Ellie.

"Chuck!"

"Sorry Ellie!" The little boy exclaimed, laughing a little, "You okay?" which was ironic seeing as he was the one who had fallen down and was searching for his inhaler.

"No! I am not okay!" She barked, "Why are you such an annoying little shrimp who ruins everything!?"

Chuck stood up, looking at his sister through muddied glasses, "I'm sorry, Ellie…. I don't mean to,"

"Stop being so annoying! Leave me alone! Nobody likes you, except Morgan, and he's a nerd, too!"

Chuck wiped under his nose. If he was crying, Ellie couldn't tell from the rain, and a part of her didn't care. She was embarrassed. He had made her friends laugh. They were laughing at him. Why did he follow them when he knew they were laughing at him? Why would he put himself through all that?

"Get on your bike and let's go…" She muttered, feeling a little guilty for the things she told him.

Chuck obliged and the two made it to their complex where they parked their bikes and headed for the door. As soon as they reached the steps, however, the door swung open and out stepped their mother with two bags in her hands.

Karen wasn;t a very pretty woman. She may have been before… but her children have always known her to be overweight and very angry all of the time. Or atleast, she was angry when she wasn't high.

"Momma…." Ellie started, "Where ya goin?"

"Out of my way," The woman grunted, shoving by her two children. Chuck lunged forward, clutching his mother by the dress, "Momma, can we come?"

"No, Chuck,"

"When ya comin back?"

She didn't say anything. She just tossed her bags into their station wagon and pulled the boy off of her dress. He started crying, but she didn't care. She wanted to get out of the rain, and he was getting her all muddy. Ellie stood there on the steps, watching her brother beg their mother not to leave.

"Momma, don't go, okay? Please?" Chuck begged, "I won't get sick anymore, I promise. And-and I promise I wont mess up my room and…"

She shut the door, but he kept crying, "Momma!"

The car was turned on and she drove off. Chuck didn't care that he was soaked to the bone. He didn't care that he was completely covered in mud or that he really needed his inhaler. He just let himself cry as long as he wanted. Surprisingly, it wasn't that long, either. Because he felt someone strap off his helmet and slide it off his head. He turned around and saw his sister, also with tears in her own eyes.

"I'm sorry,"

He sniffed and hugged her as tight as he could, "Whaddia we gonna do, Ellie?"

She hugged him as tight as she could, letting her own tears help the rain drench his head, "We'll be okay, Chuck. We don't need her,"

Chuck pulled away from her and wiped his glasses, "Who's gonna take care of us?"

Ellie smiled, "I'll take care of you, and you'll take care of me. We're gonna be okay," She kissed his head and hugged him again, "I love you,"

"I love you too, Ellie," He sniffed.

At that moment, the elder sister made a promise to herself that she would never, ever, treat her brother that way again. He was all she had at this point. She knew she hated her mother, and she knew she may never bring herself to forgive her. But she also knew her baby brother needer her, and that she needed him probably more.

"Am I still a doofus?"

"No, but I am,"


End file.
